Waitrose removes beef meatballs

Union calls for public services to verify meat content

The GMB union said all hospitals, schools and meals-on-wheels services should verify that horse meat had not been served to vulnerable people.

Brian Strutton, the union's national secretary for public services, said: "Hospitals, schools and council care services provide millions of meals with meat products every week to the young, the elderly and the sick.

Food firm Findus has apologised for the horsemeat found in its lasagnes. Credit: Press Association

"With ever-tightening budgets, some of these may have turned to cheaper meat supplies and inadvertently been or still be using horse meat.

"With rising public alarm over the prevalent use of horse meat in retail food products and possible health issues, the Government must require all public services that feed vulnerable members of society to verify that they have not used horse meat."